Archive for Home & Office Cleaning
Removing spooky Halloween stains….Part 2
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Last week we looked at one method for removing those scary Halloween chocolate stains from your carpet. Today we look at an alternative method for removing chocolate stains which is just as effective.
Halloween should be remembered for fun costumes, smiling children, laughter, trick or treating, and of course candy! Halloween should not come back to haunt us months afterwards with scary chocolate stains lurking on your carpet or area rug!
Here are some helpful hints for getting rid of those spooky chocolate stains. Remember that some carpets and rugs will need special treatment and care, and do not rub in a circular motion on your carpet or rug as you could damage the fibres.
Removing Chocolate Stains
- Let the chocolate dry. Scrape off as much as possible with a dull butter knife and then vacuum the crumbs with a hand vacuum or vacuum hose.
- Using an iron on the lowest non-steam setting carefully arrange a layer of paper towels over the stain. Iron the paper towels to soften the chocolate. The paper towels will start to absorb the stain.
- DO NOT use too much heat as this will melt the chocolate and make the stain larger.
- Replace with fresh paper towels as the chocolate soils them. Repeat until the stain is gone.
- Treat any remaining dark spots with a spot remover.
If in doubt, contact Clean N’ Fresh Cleaning Service and we’ll get your carpets looking spotless for Thanksgiving!
Scary chocolate stains on your carpet?
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Halloween is just around the corner and those chocolate stains just have a way of finding our carpets and they often remain long after Halloween is over. It’s always better to get to work on those stains as soon as possible. If you have excess chocolate on the carpet, gently scrape it away and dispose of it. Add a tablespoon of liquid hand dish washing detergent to a couple of cups of warm water. Gently wet the chocolate stain and sponge until thoroughly dampened. Grab some white kitchen roll and blot until stain disappears. If stain remains sponge again and blot.
We wish you a fun and safe Halloween!
If you have a particularly stubborn carpet stain you can always call us at 480-821-1481 and we’d be happy to help.
Do I Hear Silence?
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During August some moms in the valley are sad, others are leaping with joy and many have emotions somewhere inbetween. It’s back to school! Children have approximately 8-11 weeks summer break in the valley of the sun and that is enough to exhaust even the most patient parent. If the return to school has brought quiet to your house during the school day, it is a good time to check your house for that summer break damage, plus get some household tasks completed that have been on your ‘to do’ list since school finished in May.
Post Summer Break Checklist
Carpets – Time to spot clean carpets. If there are more spots than carpet, it’s a good time to get those carpets cleaned. This also helps with reducing indoor air pollution that tracks in on shoes, bare feet and pets.
Upholstery – Time to spot clean, or, if necessary, get a professional in to clean your sofa and chairs.
Tile and grout – Heavy traffic on your tile and grout may have taken it’s toll on it’s appearance during the summer. It’s time to assess the damage and, if necessary, get a professional cleaner in to do the job.
Windows – You can clean the inside of your windows to get rid of sticky finger prints. However, it may be wise to leave the main outdoor window cleaning until the end of the monsoon season. You don’t want another haboob sweeping through spoiling your hard work, plus the strong summer sun makes smudge free windows a rare achievement.
Closets - If you have recently bought new school clothes for your children, it’s a good time to look through their closet and donate items that they have outgrown over the summer. It’ll make more room for the new school clothes.
If you just want to put your feet up and RELAX, or you are too busy to clean your house, call us and we can send one of our trustworthy employees out to bring CLEAN and FRESH back into your home. Hopefully your post summer break house assessment will be quick and easy to fix, but if you need additonal help or cleaning advice, please don’t hesitate to call Clean ‘N Fresh Cleaning Service at 480-821-1481.
Is your home looking like a haboob just swept through it?
Posted by: | CommentsHere in the Valley we experienced the worst dust storm or haboob that most valley residents remember in recent years. It rolled in and engulfed the valley early evening last week, and the sky turned dark in minutes. We expect the occasional dust storm during our monsoon season but this was one to be remembered. The storm at it’s worst looked like a winter’s snow storm. The dust created from the haboob was deposited in our yards and some made it’s way into our houses on our shoes, clothes, pets and through the small window and door vents in our houses, adding to the indoor air pollution in our homes. Take a look at this amazing video taken by a local photographer of the dust storm fast approaching http://youtu.be/RLGCmnX_yH4
A study by researchers at John Hopkins University found an association between increasing levels of indoor air pollution and the severity of asthma symptoms among children. According to the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors. The causes of asthma are complex, but studies suggest that indoor air pollution can trigger asthma attacks.
Reduce indoor air pollution by not allow smoking in the house. Use high-efficiency air filters for your heating and air-conditioning system. Get rid of mold and mildew and do not use scented candles or air fresheners. Do not use spray cleaners or aerosols, and ventilate a room where a fuel-burning appliance is used and, wherever possible, vent to the outside. Use pest control that is hypoallergenic. Ensure that your flooring is cleaned/vacuumed regularly and leave your shoes at the door. Placing a mat inside and outside the door will reduce the amount of dust that enters your home on visitor’s shoes.
At Clean ‘N Fresh Cleaning Service we are on the forefront of new products and procedures to help clients achieve their goals for cleaner indoor environments.
As always we welcome your comments and feedback. Please join us at Clean ‘N Fresh Cleaning Facebook page. We value your opinion!
Clean ‘N’ Fresh Cleaning Service offers a wide range of services to both commercial and residential clients. Call us at 480-821-1481
Carpet Spot Cleaner Pitfalls
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We all need a spot cleaner on our carpet now and again, particularly with children and pets. Be aware that not all spot cleaners are created equally!
Avoid all-purpose cleaner on your carpet. The spot cleaner should be intended for use on carpets only. All-purpose cleaners generally leave a trouble causing residue that is difficult to remove and causes re-soiling.
Do not use any canned foam cleaners on your carpet. The foaming agents generally leave a sticky re-soiling residue which is also difficult to rinse out of the carpet.
Clean ‘N Fresh Cleaning sells a complete range of spot cleaners. For more details and to purchase please visit our store or call us at 480-821-1481.
Does Carpet Cleaning Remove the Teflon® or Scotchgard® Carpet Protector?
Posted by: | CommentsThe answer is NO! Getting your carpets professionally cleaned does not significantly affect the carpet protector. However, there will be a noticeable loss of carpet protector due to normal traffic areas on your carpet.
Carpet protector is a coating applied to all residential carpets during the manufacturing process. Normal foot traffic wears this protective coating off the fibers. Carpet protector can be restored to the fibers at the time of cleaning.
If you have further questions on carpet cleaning, please contact Norma and her Clean Team at 480-821-1481.
Can I Walk on my Carpets?
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Often we are asked if it is alright to walk on carpets that may still be damp from professional cleaning. Well the answer is yes, you can walk on the carpet, even if it is still damp, BUT keep in mind a couple of points:
- Walking on a damp carpet will quickly transfer the dirt on the bottom of your shoes, to the carpet.
- There is a possibility that any furniture that is placed onto the damp carpet may permanently bleed metal rust or wood stain into the carpet. Ensure that plastic or aluminum foil is placed between the carpet and the furniture.
- Step with CAUTION from the damp carpet onto a hard surface as it can be very slippery. It’s a good idea to place a towel at the doorway on the hard surface floor to wipe your shoes as you walk on and off the carpet.
Any questions on carpet cleaning please contact Norma and her Clean Team at 480-821-1481.
Doorway Carpet Still Looking Dirty After Cleaning?
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If your carpet still looks darker in the doorways after it’s just been cleaned, it could be due to the lighting in that area. Firstly, check and adjust the sources of light before concluding that there is still soil present. Often if a door is left open, the doorway can appear darker as it lacks the reflected light that would be there if it had been closed. A solution is to close the door and this will often balance the reflected light and make the darkened area disappear. If the area still looks dark, call in a professional cleaner like Clean ‘N Fresh Cleaning Service.
If you have other cleaning questions you’d like to ask, please join in our conversation on Facebook.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
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From time to time we are asked if there is a such a thing as cleaning your carpets too frequently. The answer is no, you can’t clean too often. If you are cleaning your carpets correctly, you could clean them every day and they would thank you for it! A carpet’s enemy is dirt and it will damage and age your carpet. Carpet manufacturers recommend that you clean your carpets approximately once a year. If you add children and pets into the mix, more frequent cleaning may be necessary. Color and type of carpet, plus traffic are also factors to consider.
If you have any questions regarding carpet cleaning please don’t hesitate to call Norma and her Clean Team at 480-821-1481. Sign up for our monthly e-newsletter at Clean ‘N Fresh Cleaning Services.
Upholstery Label Confusion can Lead to Expensive Mistakes…
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Labels on furniture fabrics can cause confusion for the consumer. An upholstered piece of furniture can easily get soiled or have an accidental spill on it.
Upholstery fabrics are made from a variety of natural and synthetic fibers or blends, plus dyes and finishes used for upholstery can be ruined with the wrong cleaning solutions.
Cleaning labels on the upholstery help to guide you when spot cleaning. Here’s some information on what those codes mean on the labels.
“W” – Use the foam only of a water based cleaning agent such as a mild detergent or non-solvent upholstery shampoo product.
“S” – Use a mild, water-free solvent or dry cleaning product.
“W-S” – Use either of the solutions mentioned above.
There is no 100% guarantee that the labels recommended cleaning solution will be effective for spot cleaning, but it should limit the damage potential.
The manufacturer’s labels do recommend a professional cleaner for complete upholstery cleaning. A professional cleaner like Clean ‘N Fresh Cleaning Service knows how to pre-test cleaning solutions and methods.
For all your upholstery needs please contact Norma and Her Clean Team at 480-821-1481.
